Tuesday, March 23, 1999 Published at 03:18 GMTWorld: Middle EastUnscom 'infiltrated by spies'UN inspectors at work in Iraq in March last yearUnscom, the now-defunct UN weapons inspection programme in Iraq, was "infiltrated and fatally compromised" by the American and British intelligence agencies - according to a report by the BBC's Panorama programme.

The infiltration began in 1996 when weapons inspectors grew impatient with Iraqi efforts to "lie, cheat and deceive".

American and British inspectors began to take over specific Unscom operations, thereby compromising the UN's independence.

In one case, codenamed "Operation Teacup", a team of Unscom personnel - who were in fact working for US and British intelligence - thwarted an Iraqi attempt to obtain banned material in Romania.

US intelligence agents succeeded in smuggling into Baghdad a large and sophisticated listening device known as "Stephanie". The device was kept in the office safe of American weapons inspector, Scott Ritter.